Game apparatus.



E. M. WESLEY.'

GAME APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN,15.1917.

Patented Sept. 18, 191?.

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EUGENE ivi. wEsLEY, or TAcoivrA, WASHINGTON.

.GAME APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatenteolSept. 18, 1917.

Application led January 15, 1917. Serial No. 142,386.

To all whom t may concer/rt:

Be it known that LEUGENE M. WESLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tacoma, in the county of Pierce and State of lVashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in `Graine Apparatus, of which the following is a specification. Y

This invention relates to game apparatus, and its object is to provide an attractive, interesting and easily understood game in which a certain amount of skill is required.

With these ends in view, the invention consists in the provision of a board having a plurality of openings to accommodate hinged doors on Awhich are representations of objects, preferably having the simulation of the cards such as utilized in a poker deck. The invention further consists in the provision of novel devices for closing the doors after the same have been opened, as by means of baseballs or the like thrown by the players.

The invention still further consists in the novel construction,adaptation and combination of elements, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

1n the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a game-board embodying the present invention. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal section thereof to an enlarged scale and shown partly broken away. Fig. 4 lis a fragmentary sectional view of the game-board showing the preferred means for yieldingly holding a door in closed position.

My game apparatus comprises a rectangular shaped frame formed of horizontal and vertical members 5 and 6 and obliquely disposed braces 7 arranged substantially as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Inclosed by said braces is the game-board8 and between the respective braces and the adjacent corners of the frame the spaces are occupied by panels 9 which contribute to afford rigidity to the frame. Said frame is held in upright position by the provision of supporting feet such as 10.

The board 8 is provided with a plurality of openings 11 arranged in series of vertical and horizontal rows. Said board about each of such holes is provided with a rabbet 12v by means of hinges 14 to enable them to be swung rearwardlyl from the closed positions until arrested by encountering the horizontal rod elements y15 of a rack which is provided at the rear of the board.

As illustrated, the various rod elements are secured to upright bar elements 16. The lowermost of said rods extend through inclinedways, such as 17, in guides 18 secured to the frame or panel members of the apparatus. The rack'is suspended by means of a supplementary rod 19 engaging in an arm 20 upon a horizontal shaft 21 which is journaled in boxes 22 secured to the frame. The shaft 21 protrudes outside of the frame and carries a second arm 23 which, in effect, constitutes with the aforesaid arm 20, a bellcrankv lever whereby the elevation of the rack may be accomplished by means of a pull Cord 24 connected to the arm 23.

The bell crank lever and the guideways 17 are arranged to hold the rack in substantially parallel relation with respect to the board, and when elevated by influencing the bell-crank lever, the latter and said guideways direct the rack forwardly during its ascending movement.V Vhen in its normal lower position, the rack-rods are presented to receive any of the doors which may be forced thereagainst in about the positions in which the doors 131 and 132 are represented in Fig. 3, so that they may be seen from the front through the respective door openings, as indicated by corresponding characters in Fig. 1.

When the rack is raised, moreover, the rods thereof cause any doors bearing thereagainst to be swung forwardly into closing positions, the ultimate movements of the doors being effected by the momentum of the doors.

Each of the doors is provided with means to yieldingly hold the same in its closed position, such means preferably consisting of a spring-pressed ball 25 (F ig. d) provided on a door engaging in a socket 26 formed or provided therefor in the board.

The various doors have on their front faces the representation of poker playingcards, in suitable suit colors and denominations.`

The apparatus is employed by one or more players each successively throwing a number of balls, as live for example, at the board, endeavoring to dislodge selected doors or card representations such as will give a 1 Copies of this patent may 11e-obtained for good bandi, as deterlninedxby conventional poker rules.

For instance, should one of the players` dislodge three of a kind it is obvious that he would Win over a competitor obtaining no betterthan .two pairs.

The apparatus may also be f utilized by (a. i

single player who endeavors `todislodge `doorsto obtainfa-hand, -so-.to speak, -Which vwill exceed a predetermined value-as a pair ot aces-.in ordcrwtonvin a stake, as cigars,

v.olieredby ther proprietor o1`--tliel apparatus.

The inventionv is simple anditsavuse is.

easily lunderstood,but sufficientI skill-fis de-,

manded in striking. predetermined carddesignating doors torenderv games played,n1-

teresting-and attractive, as Well as sportiul. What I claim, isfs 1.v AI O'an@J `a J aaratus com )rrsino a boardi.

having a `pluralitytoil openings, doors provided for the respective openings and' hingedly connecteddfrom their lower ends to the board; said doors having playing-card designating marks thereon, z a :vertically movable racltfprovided at the rear; of .the

board, and Y:nieansfto"elevatemsaidrack toy close anyv ofthe doors which may be tilted into .open positions.

2. A gaine apparatus comprising aboard having` aplurality'of spaced openings, doors-y hingedly connected tothe board Subj-acont to.I they f respective. openings, game-designating.. charactersunarked on-the respective doors,

rack7 means securedtovtherearofsaid board and having obliquely arranged Ways to lguilde the Ylower end :olf the "rack, and

-- means l attached to the board and i connected to the lupper end of the rack-andf coperating' 'withtheLaoresaid means to effect the for- Ward'rinovement of the rack when the latter isy elevated throughthe agency of the second-named; means. l

3. ln gaine apparatus of the character described, the combinationhwith gthhewlaoard having openings therein, and,v hinged doors forwardly, .to ,effect the closing t. `In gam'eapparatusof the character ,described, aboard having.openingstherein, a

rabhet provided about each of openings, doorsseatablein the rabbetsof the respective board-openings, hinges torthedoors,v a rackl vengag.'ealole ley.,kl they doors ,when .Y dislodged l; fronithe respective rabbets, and meansto actuate said rack for returning 4thedoors intoathe .rabbets for closing ythe respective Y openings. Signed day of January, 1917.

EUGENE M. vitnesssesgl.: I, PIER-Rnv BARNES,

E. PETERSON.

Wnsnnr.

E- -Seattle, t vVashiii y this i G5 

